About four years ago I sat in my office at work (yes, I had an office at that time, four walls and a door!) considering my next developmental step. I had done a few institutes, attended a few conferences, and researched the various programs I could take advantage of through KU, including a graduate program. At the time I was leaning heavily toward a graduate degree, as my desire for structured education and learning was growing greater as the distance grew from my undergraduate days. But which way would I turn, and which program would I enroll?
There were few options, either through my own interest or through the assistance program at KU. It had been mentioned several times by several people that if I wanted to continue or progress at the university level, that I should consider the nationally ranked Public Administration program at KU. KU would assist by paying for one class per semester, which would still leave me on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars, however this was a program I was interested in. I considered continuing in line with my undergraduate degree of English, to which I would be able to more easily move careers, should I decide that. Then there was the ever popular MBA. At this time (circa 2008-09), the MBA was just becoming the new buzz word, or buzz degree. As the economy was tanking, schools and media started pushing the MBA, as a way to learn business, because everyone knows that business degrees are in demand and will guarantee you a job.
Why did the MBA appeal to me? When I started college back in 1995 at Iowa, my declared major was Accounting. Actually, it was Pre-Business, because I had not been accepted in the B-School yet. I grew up in the shadows of the giant Arthur Andersen, and was fairly good with numbers (not in the mathematical sense, but in the column and charts sense of Accounting). I left the Accounting program, but still the itch was there. And you have to know something about me, in that I have a wide reaching knowledge and craving for learning, so much that I had changed my major at Iowa several times.
And that is what appealed to me about the MBA, and other degrees like this, for example, CIS and MIS (Computer Information Systems and Management Information Systems). These degrees, along with MBAs, are the all-encompassing knowledge degrees: learn a little from column A, learn a little from Column B, maybe some overlap and using knowledge from A to work with B. It is a way to collaborate with a few of your peers, and in graduate programs this could mean a range of 20 to 30 years in age.
But really, they are not specialized. After looking at the course offerings, I liken these graduate degrees to the GRE of graduate degrees, or the undergraduate 'Degree of Liberal Arts.' No focus on one subject, but a well-rounded education. You can say you have a graduate degree now, but not a specific degree.
Which brings me to an essay in the Wall Street Journal: Why Getting an M.B.A. Isn't Worth It - WSJ.com. I will spare you the synopsis of the article and allow you to read it. I know about ten people who I consider friends who have or are in process, of obtaining their MBA, so this article has a possibility to offend some people I know, though this was not the intent. There are faults in the essay. However, I shared the essay in various media outlets as a warning to those people who are still considering a graduate degree. I strongly encourage everyone to consider furthering their education in many formats, yet to strongly weigh the options. If you are thinking about dropping tens of thousands of dollars on education, you need to think about what that education will get you, and where you will be at the end. Even considering in-state tuition, and a two year program: After $8,000 and two years of your personal life, will you be better off (regardless of the program you choose)? Will that time and money pay off immediately, after two years, after five, after ten? Are you in a career that requires a graduate degree in the field? Are you certain that you will stay in this career field? How will your resume compare to the thousands of other applicants who also have an MBA (or other degree like this)?
There are many things to look at, but those items that I listed above, the questions to ask are incredibly important when you look at finances and your future. Those questions are what turned me away from an MBA (because I am not in a field, nor am I interested in a career that needs a Business degree), turned me away from Public Admin (because I have little interest in some aspects of urban development, though other areas did entice), turned me away from English (mostly because the program at the nearest university did not provide the education I desired), and turned me away from MIS and CIS (because I can learn all of those topics and subjects on my own, much more inexpensively). Overall, in considering the MBA (as the topic of this article), what will bring you the best return on your investment? A good MBA student will realize this, but possibly too late.
By the way, I may have obtained one of the generic graduate degrees I derided above. I received a Masters of Liberal Arts, Management and Leadership. Why this degree? Aside from the reasons above for not selecting the other degrees, this degree offered a wonderful balance of subjects that I was looking for, while still focusing on a topic of which I have great interest: Management and Leadership. The course was not at KU, which made it slightly more expensive, however it did provide two fundamental aspects: higher education positions will routinely prefer graduate degrees (of any subject), and some of it was taught online (which made keeping my job and family much easier). Three years later, I found a new job, with greater possibilities and diversity where I am much happier than I was before. While the pay is the same and the move was lateral in career, the return on investment has been great. Had I chosen any of the other graduate degrees, I would not have been able to make the change, which has brought great happiness to me and my family, and peace of mind for my career, years to come.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Friday, June 1, 2012
The Past Year
For those of you who follow this blog, I am certain you are probably not following anymore. It has been nearly fourteen months since I last posted on any of my blogs, and many people have probably lost all interest in my thoughts and opinions on topics and general life as I experience it. And with that, I apologize.
The past year has been a struggle on many levels, which I plan to explore in a series of blog posts. All aspects of my life countered each other: my career affected my family life, my family life changed my personal life, my personal life changed through physical ailments. And through it all, I lost vision. I had nothing to look forward to. I am not going to bore you with details of what I went through, thought I may use some things as examples. I will also not pretend that my experience was horrifying, or in any way worse than anyone else. But there are situations and lessons, experiences I can share, which someone out there may have encountered, and dealt with themselves.
On this blog, I will focus on career changes, as this is my outlet for Management and Leadership. My career change had the most transformation on my life overall. I have been in my new position for about three months, and there are many things to share. Over the course of the next several weeks, I hope to have the opportunity to update once a week on something new, using examples from where I am, and where I came from. I hope you will all find something interesting as well.
- Tom.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Leaving the place you love...
...or a place you do not. Several years ago I was given some great advice from a mentor in regards to professional development. There are a lot of people who love the place they work, and could never envision leaving the department, unit or even the company/corporation they work for. Either they love the people, their co-workers, the environment or the location. It could be that the employee is scared and have become too comfortable with their position or company, that they do not want to risk taking a position elsewhere and not be happy.
The advice given to me is that sometimes people MUST leave a job in order to grow, learn new skills, or gain career promotion. For those who are happy in what they do, and do not seek any additional responsibilities or career advancement, they can stay in one position or company their entire career, and maintain their happiness. However, if you are looking for something greater than your current position, you have to look at all of the issues. Will there be openings for advancement? Will the company look within? Is the company providing you with opportunities, both in training and in responsibilities for advancement? Do you want to stay with one company for the long haul?
Another item to consider is length of time. How long have you given to this company? I read an article recently where a young adult, late twenties and only four years out of graduate school, was upset and leaving a company because they had not "met his demands" of moving up the corporate ladder by the age of thirty. The younger generations have a sense of entitlement (not all younger people, but it is a perception) that needs to be kept in check. Younger professionals need to remember that there are many older people in the career world with just as much, or more experience, who are looking at moving up the same ladder. As they move up, younger people will move up as well into those spaces just vacated. And the elder generation needs to be able to identify younger staff to move into those positions.
Which brings me back to the issue at hand: leaving a comfortable work environment you may or may not love. In the past two weeks I was offered a new job, and ended up declining. My official title would have been Director of Information Systems, a giant step up from my current official title as Technology Coordinator. As great as the title is, the job description was not indicative of the words. This Director would have been a glorified desktop technician and web designer, serving a much smaller group of people than I currently serve. However this would have been a career advancement, one which is not possible at my current position or location. Having been passed over twice in the last six months for positions within, this would have been my chance to move up in my career. While the salary increase would have been greatly appreciated, it came down to what I am doing now and what I would be doing there. Regardless of the working title of the position, I have a much greater effect on IT now, than I would have in that high position.
But I am still looking for a good opportunity, whether that comes from within, or if I have to leave the comfort of my current position. Sometimes you have to leave in order to learn new skills and gain new experiences. If you have a good employer, they will always welcome you back.
Tip #002: Always read the job description: The title of a job will not tell you what you will be doing. Read the fine print of what the responsibilities will be, and what will be expected of you. Titles are nothing more than generic descriptors. As a 'Technology Coordinator,' I was once denied an interview because I was not a 'Manager,' however once I explained my responsibilities, HR decided I indeed fit the requirements. Be sure you understand what the job is, and not get excited by the title of the position.
- Tom.
The advice given to me is that sometimes people MUST leave a job in order to grow, learn new skills, or gain career promotion. For those who are happy in what they do, and do not seek any additional responsibilities or career advancement, they can stay in one position or company their entire career, and maintain their happiness. However, if you are looking for something greater than your current position, you have to look at all of the issues. Will there be openings for advancement? Will the company look within? Is the company providing you with opportunities, both in training and in responsibilities for advancement? Do you want to stay with one company for the long haul?
Another item to consider is length of time. How long have you given to this company? I read an article recently where a young adult, late twenties and only four years out of graduate school, was upset and leaving a company because they had not "met his demands" of moving up the corporate ladder by the age of thirty. The younger generations have a sense of entitlement (not all younger people, but it is a perception) that needs to be kept in check. Younger professionals need to remember that there are many older people in the career world with just as much, or more experience, who are looking at moving up the same ladder. As they move up, younger people will move up as well into those spaces just vacated. And the elder generation needs to be able to identify younger staff to move into those positions.
Which brings me back to the issue at hand: leaving a comfortable work environment you may or may not love. In the past two weeks I was offered a new job, and ended up declining. My official title would have been Director of Information Systems, a giant step up from my current official title as Technology Coordinator. As great as the title is, the job description was not indicative of the words. This Director would have been a glorified desktop technician and web designer, serving a much smaller group of people than I currently serve. However this would have been a career advancement, one which is not possible at my current position or location. Having been passed over twice in the last six months for positions within, this would have been my chance to move up in my career. While the salary increase would have been greatly appreciated, it came down to what I am doing now and what I would be doing there. Regardless of the working title of the position, I have a much greater effect on IT now, than I would have in that high position.
But I am still looking for a good opportunity, whether that comes from within, or if I have to leave the comfort of my current position. Sometimes you have to leave in order to learn new skills and gain new experiences. If you have a good employer, they will always welcome you back.
Tip #002: Always read the job description: The title of a job will not tell you what you will be doing. Read the fine print of what the responsibilities will be, and what will be expected of you. Titles are nothing more than generic descriptors. As a 'Technology Coordinator,' I was once denied an interview because I was not a 'Manager,' however once I explained my responsibilities, HR decided I indeed fit the requirements. Be sure you understand what the job is, and not get excited by the title of the position.
- Tom.
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